Jun. 20, 2013
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James Gandolfini won three Emmys for his work on 'The Sopranos.' / AP

by Editors, USA TODAY

by Editors, USA TODAY

Sopranos star James Gandolfini died unexpectedly Wednesday at the age of 51. This was a man whose talent and career seemed to be expanding, not contracting - a great actor who had added "producer" and "documentarian" to his skill set, and who was poised to make another run at TV stardom. To his fans, at least, this was not a man who was ready to fade to black.

NBA finals Game 7

A Game 7 in the championship series, the final game of the final series of the year, is absolutely as good as it gets. The only way to top it is to have one player make it so memorable, it's never forgotten. That is the ultimate challenge for the Heat's LeBron James and the Spurs' Tim Duncan tonight in Miami.

Taliban talks

The Afghan Taliban say they are ready to hand over a U.S. soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of their senior operatives being held at the Guantanamo Bay prison.

Doctors perform thousands of unnecessary surgeries

A USA TODAY study found that tens of thousands of times each year, patients undergo surgery they don't need. Here are six common surgeries that carry significant risks of being done without medical necessity, according to federal data and independent studies.